Star was in its elements on Wednesday night and there was very little that Blackwater could do.
With most everything falling into place, finally getting into the win column in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup looked very easy for the Hotshots as they snapped a three-game slide with a 122-103 ripping of the Elite at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao.
Denzel Bowles and Allein Maliksi starred in separate parts of the second half as the Hotshots zoomed to leads of as huge as 28 points on the way to snapping the first winning streak of the Blackwater franchise.
Bowles, the former Best Import awardee, scored 16 of his 28 points in the third period where the Hotshots tore the game open before Maliksi dropped 15 of his 23 in the fourth to not give the Elite a chance to stage a comeback.
It was just the first win in four starts for the Hotshots, and one, which came at the most opportune time considering that they are in a collision course with sister team and crowd-darling Barangay Ginebra on Sunday.
“Finally, we were able to get one,” Star coach Jason Webb said with a huge sigh of relief. “It took a while. The team really played well on both ends and we’re relieved that we finally got one.”
Blackwater came into the contest on a high after scoring triumphs over Mahindra and import-less Alaska last week.
The Elite came out of it wondering what went wrong as they were out of the fight early and never got back in the game despite getting 30 points and 21 rebounds from import MJ Rhett and 20 points from leading local scorer Carlo Lastimosa.
“I guess everything fell into place at the right time for us,” Webb continued. “The local support was there and there was Denzel (exploding) at the right time for us.”
James Yap was instrumental in giving the team the confidence that it needed, hitting all but two of his 15 points in the first quarter with Peter June Simon and Marc Barroca finishing with 10 each.
From a 28-22 game after the first, the Hotshots opened up a 58-41 lead at the half and never looked back as they made the rest of the game a virtual showcase with Bowles coming up with a lot of rim-rattling dunks that worked the crowd into a frenzy.
Not only did the Hotshots snap that three-game slide, it also gave them all the confidence they need going into that clash with the Gin Kings, a crucial one since Star cannot afford to take any more losses considering how short the elimination round is.
“It will be a tough one for us,” Webb explained. “It’s good for the gate receipts, I’m sure. But that game will be a tough one for us.”
Alaska, meanwhile, unveiled a gem of a pinch-hitting import in Shane Edwards to clip defending champion Tropang TNT, 108-100, in the nightcap.
Coming in as an emergency replacement for the injured Rob Dozier, Edwards scored 36 points and snared down 20 boards in a 41-minute stint that helped the Aces snap a five-game skid that started in Game 4 of the Philippine Cup Finals against San Miguel Beer.
With Edwards proving to be an inspiration not only because of the numbers he dropped but also in the way he hustled, the Aces rallied from as large as 13 points down late in the second quarter for an even 1-1 card.
It was the third straight defeat for the Texters, who also broke in a new import of their own in David Simon.
The South Korean pro league veteran also came up with a respectable performance of 35 and 19 but had eight of the Texters’ 18 turnovers that helped doom TNT to a 1-3 record.
“I think we have an import,” Alaska coach Alex Compton said with a smile, his statement said in a literal and figurative manner.
“I told the (assistant) coaches that I hope Shane (Edwards) gives me a problem,” Compton said, obviously referring to Dozier, who is expected to return in a couple of weeks. “I just hope we win every game with Shane so that he can give me a problem (of selecting an import once Dozier is healthy again).”
RJ Jazul and Vic Manuel contributed 13 points apiece with Calvin Abueva adding 11 for the Aces.
